WUNC Music

Songs We Love is a series and a podcast that looks at the stories behind some of the songs we're playing on our new music discovery station, WUNC Music.

On this episode Eric Hodge chats with the North Carolina based folk trio Mountain Man about their song 'Rang Tang Ring Toon' from their 2018 album 'Magic Ship.'

The song is a playful romp that the band says came about organically. It's gone on to become one of their favorites to perform live.

Listen to the episode here:

Songs We Love is a series and a podcast that looks at the stories behind some of the songs we're playing on our new music discovery station, WUNC Music.

Songs We Love is a series and a podcast that looks at the stories behind some of the songs we're playing on our new music discovery station, WUNC Music.

Songs We Love is a series and a podcast that looks at the stories behind some of the songs we're playing on our new music discovery station, WUNC Music.

There was a time in our history when families gathered around the radio to listen to stories and music. WUNC produced a show from a couple years back that tries to rekindle that spirit. It's called 'Occasional Shivers' and was written by Chris Stamey. On this episode of the podcast we focus on the song that inspired the show.

Greg Hawks says his new record is a culmination of all of his musical influences. That means the songs on I Think It's Time contain nods to classic country, 1970s pop/rock, rhythmic soul and his roots in the American South.

Songs We Love is a series and a podcast that looks at the stories behind some of the songs we're playing on our new music discovery station, WUNC Music.

On this special episode, we take a look at the legacy of Big Star and focus on the 2017 tribute album Thank You, Friends: Big Star's Third Live...And More.

Michael Rank is doubling down on his musical move to funk and soul. The Triangle-based singer/songwriter was known for his Stones-y, outlaw country swagger and dusty folk on a series of recordings before pivoting to Sly and The Family Stone and D'Angelo on last year's Another Love.

Songs We Love is a series and a podcast that looks at the stories behind some of the songs we're playing on our new music discovery station, WUNC Music.

This time we take a look at Amy Ray's 'Didn't Know A Damn Thing,' from her latest solo album Holler. The song starts off like a country song complete with banjo, pedal steel and two-step back beat. But as the lyrics build, out comes a story about a white kid growing up in the Jim Crow South.

Listen to the episode here:

Doug Paisley's new record Starter Home is a quiet beauty. The Canadian musician will remind you of Guy Clark, John Prine and Gordon Lightfoot, even as he puts his own stamp on a long tradition of singer-songwriters.

He recorded the new songs over a few years at several home studios in Toronto. Paisley will be at The Cat's Cradle Back Room in Carrboro tonight. 

Old Time fiddler and songwriter Bill Hicks died this week.  He was 75 years old.   WUNC’s Program Director remembers him on this episode of the Songs We Love podcast with a close listen to his iconic song “The SOB In The Carvel Truck."

In a Facebook post announcing Bill’s passing the Red Clay Ramblers described their old friend as “...one of the finest musicians to come out of the 20th-century American South, and he leaves a great legacy of fiddling, singing, and songwriting."

Songs We Love is a series and a podcast that looks at the stories behind some of the songs we're playing on our new music discovery station, WUNC Music.

On this episode we're featuring 'He's A Lone Ranger' by Dom Flemons. It's a song off of his latest record Black Cowboys.

The record redefines the image of the American Cowboy with songs like the one featured here. It's one Dom wrote after hearing the story of Bass Reeves, who was born into slavery in 1838.

Songs We Love is a series and a podcast that looks at the stories behind some of the songs we're playing on our new music discovery station, WUNC Music.

This time we take a look at 'What A Time To Be Alive,' the title track from Superchunk's latest album.

The song, and the album of the same name, is a call to action. According to singer Mac McCaughan it was written in reaction to the current political climate.

Listen to the episode here:

The wait is over, and your patience is being rewarded. Mountain Man has released Magic Ship,  a new album of sparse and dreamy new Appalachian-inspired folk songs.  Amelia Meath (Sylvan Esso), Molly Sarle, and Alexandra Sauser-Monnig (ASM) have been busy with their other bands and with solo recordings since Mountain Man's debut Made the Harbor was released eight years ago. 

The second season of Dom Flemon's American Songster Radio podcast is released today, Friday, October 26.

In this episode of American Songster Radio, Dom discusses the song “Black Woman” and revisits the lives of figures like Bridget “Biddy” Mason and “Stagecoach” Mary Fields.  He also shares his own version of “Black Woman,” performed live on stage.

This is episode two from season two of American Songster Radio.

This is episode three from season two of American Songster Radio.

This is epsidoe four from season two of American Songster Radio.

This is episode five from season two of American Songster Radio.

This is the sixth and final episode from season two of American Songster Radio.

WUNC is proud to present the world premiere of the video for "Black Woman" performed by Dom Flemons. The song was explained in the first episode of Season 2 of the American Songster Podcast and is included on Dom’s “Black Cowboys” release on Smithsonian Folkways.

The cowboy is an icon of American culture. But the popular image of the white cowboy skews our perception of what kind of Americans did—and do—cowboying work. 

The American West after the Civil War was a dynamic and ethnically diverse place. As many as a quarter of the cowboys during the frontier era were African Americans.  

Singer-songwriter Amy Ray is bringing her new album Holler to Durham next week.